SHIFA FREE CLINIC CAMPAIGN
We have secured a welcoming permanent facility to provide high quality, multispecialty, compassionate healthcare to the uninsured. A large fully stocked healthy food pantry, to provide for those in our community struggling to feed themselves and their families. Hungry men, women and children cannot work or learn to their fullest potential. Please partner with us to help continue our efforts. Our entire community will benefit from your generosity.
#Healingwithlove
WHY THIS WORK IS CRITICAL IN SC
In 2019, MUSC Health, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Trident United Way implemented the Tri-County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)* and found the following:
- Nearly 20% of the tri-county population lack health insurance. Almost 150,000 people remain uninsured at any given time.
- The upfront costs of securing health insurance and/or lack of availability of coverage through employment create barriers to obtaining needed medical care.
- The impact is massive on both the uninsured and the communities they live in. They are likely to end up in emergency rooms instead of receiving early preventative care, passing on avoidable cost to the hospitals and increasing insurance premiums.
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In 2015, The Kaiser Family Foundation estimated the impact of not expanding Medicaid in South Carolina added 123,000 uninsured people.
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Food insecurity is a daily struggle for many in the Lowcountry. One in five people are struggling with hunger—and nearly 30% are children.
WHO WE SERVE
We treat all those in need, representing diverse members of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or age. All of the people we serve are at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level and are mostly women and children.
South Carolina: 9th Highest Maternal Death Rate in the US
The United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world, and 60% of those deaths are preventable. For every maternal death, nearly 70 mothers die.
Shifa Free Clinic provides no cost prenatal care to those in need. Comprehensive, accessible, and affordable prenatal care as well as health education are the best ways to improve pregnancy outcomes. They are also the foundation of a healthy pregnancy, a safe birth, a nurturing family and a viable community. Early prenatal care fosters healthier pregnancies by enabling health care providers to identify and treat maternal conditions and behaviors that can adversely affect the initial stages of fetal development, provide medical advice, and assess the risk of a poor pregnancy outcome. Prenatal care may also provide an entry point to the health care system, especially for women who do not have a usual source of care.
Our goal is to reduce illness and death associated with the prenatal (pregnancy) and perinatal (around the time of birth) periods. Specifically, the clinic aims to reduce the number of low birth-weight infants and the rate of newborn mortality. Our partnership with Roper St. Francis Healthcare helps us to ensure a healthy delivery process, whether vaginal or C section, as well as consultation and treatment of high risk pregnancies.
Hunger in South Carolina
Food insecurity is not knowing where your next meal will come from. The problem is greater in South Carolina than many people realize. 489,510 South Carolinians are facing hunger–of those, 153,330 are children.
Nationally Ranked Top 10 in Food Insecurity
Almost 1 in 10 People are Food Insecure
Almost 1 in 7 Children are Food Insecure
54% of People on Food Stamps are Seniors or Children
Our Hunger Prevention Program
We have four hunger prevention services that provide food for our patients as well as those in the community. These include: on-site food pantry, monthly home deliveries, Child Hunger Prevention Program, and Fresh Express.
Our food pantry provides on-site pickups daily
Home deliveries provide food to families without transportation
Child Hunger Prevention Program provides food to children for the weekend
Fresh Express ensures access to fresh produce and meat
Our Achievements
- Full-time free clinic in the Lowcountry with comprehensive and established multiple healthcare services and outreach programs under one roof.
- No zip code restriction, which broadens our impact across South Carolina.
- Providing greater return on investment: each $1 donated results in $9 worth of services provided.
- Collaborations with multiple organizations results in $2.3 million annually in in-kind services.
- Expansion of our no cost comprehensive prenatal services and partnership with Roper St. Francis to provide delivery and referrals for high risk pregnancy.
- Recognized academic center for graduating physician assistants and nurse practitioner students from MUSC, Charleston Southern University, and various other universities. Family practice residents have established rotation for OBGYN. Internships to graduating Masters in Public Health students from College of Charleston and DNP program for advanced nurse practitioners.
- Accredited by AADE for Diabetes Self Management Education Program.
- Won gold seal by National Association of free clinics and accredited by South Carolina Free Clinic Association for quality standards.
PROJECTED GROWTH AND CAMPAIGN PLAN
With increasing demands, our current 2,300 sq. ft. leased facility is too crowded, inefficient, impersonal and confining. We anticipate an 18% annual growth over the next three years, leading up to 6,000 patient visits and 70,000 individuals served through our food pantry. A larger 5,000 sq. ft. permanent facility is critical to expand services to more people, and to accommodate and increase medical and non-medical volunteers.
BENEFITS OF EXPANSION
Increase Efficiency of Services
Expansion will provide the food pantry and clinic to have designated areas to provide for the clients’ needs.
Reduce Operating Costs
By owning a building, we can reduce monthly operating costs by 7% allowing donations to be utilized to impact the patients we care for.
Increase Number of Clients
A larger facility and new location will provide more access and expand healthcare services to more people.
Increase Food Distribution
Expansion will allow for more shelf, refrigerator, and freezer space. An increase in goods provides an increase in the number of families and individuals we can help.
Inspire Innovative Work Methods
Expansion will encourage hybrid work, lean working, agile workspace and swarm intelligence allowing us to work at our highest potential.
Boost Morale of Staff
Designated spaces for staff will encourage independent thinking, ownership, and focus for our staff. A designated meeting space will encourage team development.
Our New Facility: 668 Marina Drive, Charleston, SC
Campaign Components
$1.5 M Capital Campaign
- $800,000: Purchase of Facility
- $700,000: Renovation/Move
– Construction/Remodeling
– Closing, Permits, Fees
– New Equipment/Furniture
– Indoor and Outdoor Signage
– Campaign Costs, Marketing
– Moving Cost
– Maintenance Fund
$2.5 M Operating Campaign
- 3-year Operating Cost
- Expansion of Key Staff
– Patient Navigator
– Food Pantry Assistant
– Intake Assistant
– Development Director
– Part-time Optometrist
– Deputy Director
Volunteer Shifa Free Clinic Campaign Cabinet
Patient Stories
Student Testimonials
We provide educational opportunities for future medical practitioners.
“This was the most knowledgeable experience I’ve had, I’ve learned so much through this real-world opportunity. I know times are hard, however, providing more clinical experience would be great!
– Kristen Patel, Public Health Intern at NC University
“The clinic runs like a well-oiled machine! I loved that I was able to be a part of something greater here in my own city. The clinical experience was wonderful- I’ve had one clinical experience before, but the experience was night and day! I was able to function almost independently seeing patients, formulating my plan, and working with Erin or Dr. Khan who made sure what I wanted to do was safe and appropriate for our patients. I also enjoyed the interdisciplinary approach– being able to bounce ideas off of other students was invaluable.”
– Lindsey Willis, Nurse Practitioner Student
“I will forever value my time at Shifa and will remember my experience for the rest of my career. Thank you to all.”
– Jonathan Little, Nurse Practitioner Student at MUSC
“Thank you so much for continuing to allow South PA students to rotate at Shifa Clinic. I enjoyed my rotation and love working and learning hands-on with the patients…I am very thankful for my time here at the Shifa Clinic. Exposure to a diverse patient population really puts things into perspective for me as a future provider, and I hope I can make a difference in my future patient lives because of this experience.”
– Caitlin Caratree, Physician Assistant Student at South University
FAQ
- Full-time free clinic in the Lowcountry with comprehensive and established multiple healthcare services and outreach programs under one roof.
- No zip code restriction, which broadens our impact across South Carolina.
- Providing greater return on investment: Each $1 donated results in $9 worth of services provided.
- Collaborations with multiple organizations results in $2.3 million annually in in-kind services.
- Robust women’s health services including no cost comprehensive prenatal services and partnership with Roper St. Francis to provide delivery and referrals for high-risk pregnancy.
- Recognized academic center for graduating physician assistants and nurse practitioner students from MUSC, South University, Charleston Southern University, and various other universities. Family practice residents from MUSC have established rotation for OB. Internships to graduating Masters in Public Health students from MUSC as well as public health interns from College of Charleston.
- Accredited by AADE for Diabetes self management education program.
- Won gold seal by National Association of free clinics and accredited by South Carolina Free Clinic Association for quality standards.
- Nearly 20% of tri-county residents lack health insurance, including 7.2% of children in Charleston County alone.
- South Carolina did not participate in Medicaid expansion through the American Care Act, which resulted in an additional 123,000 uninsured people throughout the state.
- We also serve people who are under-insured (can’t afford co-pay for high deductible policies), or can’t afford healthcare.
- Shifa Free Clinic was founded locally by Dr. Reshma Khan in 2012, and is a field office of ICNA Relief USA. Each field office is responsible for determining their budget, raising their own funding, and using the money raised for local support only.
- All donations raised in South Carolina goes to support Shifa Free Clinic.
- ICNA Relief USA is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides social services across the U.S. to the underprivileged and those affected by natural disasters. They strives to build healthy communities, strengthen families and create opportunities for those in despair while maintaining their dignity.
- Ability to combine nutrition and health in one-stop-shopping. Health and Nutrition go hand-in-hand. Especially for pregnant women, eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy is linked to good brain development and a healthy birth weight, and can reduce the risk of many birth defects. A balanced diet will also reduce the risk of anemia as well as other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness. Shifa combines medical wellness visits with provision of food to those-in-need. This ability is both unique across the Lowcountry and important. So important that the NAFC (National Association of Free Clinics) data indicates that 44% of the Free Clinics across the US offer food alongside medical care.
- Extended hours of operation. Shifa offers 5-day a week access to nutritious foods, while many food pantries are able to open only a couple of hours each month. Having to visit multiple food pantry’s during a week presents logistical and organizational challenges, particularly for families with children or those with limited mobility. Moreover, Shifa’s multi-lingual staff ensures that clients’ needs are understood across our diverse population.
- Client’s Choice, in which client select their own groceries much like in a supermarket. Not only does this reduce food waste – saving our planet – but recognizes the diversity of food preferences across our client base. Shifa’s new food space will allow us to offer Client Choice
- Unique delivery methods result in greater reach and higher volumes. In the face of the pandemic, Shifa has implemented unique delivery methods that remain with us today. Working in partnership with the Lowcountry Foodbank, communities, and local grocers, we have been able to reach an incredible number of people and deliver a large volume of foodstuffs throughout the shutdown and beyond. These include:
- Drive-Up services to patients at Shifa Clinic
- Volunteer delivery to those shut-in or otherwise unable to reach the clinic
- Mass distribution several times a year, principally around holidays
- An incredibly creative partnership with Amazon to deliver boxes of foods to specific addresses throughout the Lowcountry to those lacking transportation.
The bottom-line is the combination of these diverse methods allowed Shifa to deliver an incredible volume of food during a pandemic at very low cost; 818,439 lbs. in FY 2020. Investing in our own permanent food facility will improve the efficiency of our operation and maintain our already-low food distribution costs.